I looked at the dirt, then I checked my sleeve.
Right enough, there was a massive hole in the elbow.
I wondered how long it had been there. How many times I'd worn my one good suit not knowing it was ruined.
Felt like a right cunt. I'd gone to job interviews like this.
Then I realised why the poof hadn't clocked us. He'd taken one look at that hole, didn't think I was worth the hassle. Like whatever had happened since that night made us a fucking derelict, one step from a ranting drunk on a street corner, like I'd lost my fucking mind or something, couldn't be trusted to take care of myself.
I blew smoke, realised my eyes hurt. Wasn't long after that, my throat started to hurt too.
I was still worth the hassle. Fuck him.
I smoked the rest of my roll-up, swallowed the pain at the back of my throat. I wiped the water from my eyes, then ditched the butt into the dirt. It sat there smoking by itself for a while, and I sniffed. I watched it till the smoke faded away, until I managed to get myself sorted.
Somewhere I heard a bird that sounded like it was laughing.
I looked at the dirt.
“Fuck you an' all.”
###
Dirty Work: The Collected Cal Innes Stories
Beast of Burden is the final novel in the Cal Innes Quartet, the other three titles being Saturday's Child, Sucker Punch and No More Heroes. If you're looking for more Cal Innes, there's also Dirty Work: The Collected Short Stories.
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Also by Ray Banks
Novels
Dead Money
Wolf Tickets
Matador
The Cal Innes Quartet
Saturday’s Child
Donkey Punch
No More Heroes
Beast of Burden
Novellas
Gun
California
Short stories
Dirty Work: The Collected Cal Innes Stories
Wrong ’Em, Boyo
Don’t Miss Out
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Table of Contents
SPASTICUS (AUTISTICUS)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
12
13
14
15
MY BROTHER'S MAN
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
NOBODY WALKS
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Dirty Work: The Collected Cal Innes Stories
Also by Ray Banks
Don’t Miss Out